Session 2 allows students to provide personal information and general attitude toward technology in order to provide more meaningful and directed instruction in future sessions. We will be using Google docs and surveymonkey.com for primary data collection and demonstrate how this information can then be used to immediate feedback to students in the classroom. In addition, class members will be signing up for several free sites which will be used in this class and may be useful in future teaching opportunities.
try to gather information about the students that will help you assist them in topics related to projects or even connecting material in class (career objectives, interests/hobbies)
try to avoid narrow questions that may cause students to feel like they don't fit into the survey. Some students don't play sports, some even don't participate in extracurricular activities, but many have hobbies or interests or are involved in something. At some point, you may miss a student or two who feel that they are involved in nothing - you obviously do not have to be oversensitive
be careful of personal questions. Asking questions about race or ethnicity, religion, or family situation may seem intrusive. Before putting anything personal in a survey, it is best to ask an administrator if the question is ok.
If you are concerned about a question being taken the wrong way, it is better to leave it out. Some questions can be reworded in order to gather information on interests without being so intrusive into personal life (for example, "What ethnicities would you be interested in looking at in American history?". Not as good as asking a direct ethnicity question, but you never know when an adopted child or a child whose family has faced some sort of profiling may be sensitive to that type of question.
start out with easily answered questions. A long, complex first question may cause students to be wary of continuing the survey.
try to avoid survey fatigue, keep the survey short. You can ask questions to break up class or as opening activities in classes and spread them out.
if you want to display answers for the class to see, make sure you have quantifiable answers (multiple choice, matrix)
if you want students to pick a side, make sure that you have an even number of options. Odd numbers allow fence sitters to pick the middle.
Assignment for next class:
Create a survey using Google docs, survey monkey (or another site if you know it) with 10 questions related to your the favorite course selection from the survey you took today. Assume this is the first day of class and that you have the student's phone number, year of graduation, and sex. You may ask questions which you believe can help you both in the subject area as well as connecting with the student.
Make the final question a feedback question for myself and your classmates.
Link this in your SAS page and notify me at brm@pitt.edu.
Survey Monkey Example - Take this survey
Google Docs Example - Take this survey this survey may also be accessed on the IT1161 blog site .
Google
Surveymonkey
SOME TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS ON SURVEY CREATION:
Assignment for next class:
Create a survey using Google docs, survey monkey (or another site if you know it) with 10 questions related to your the favorite course selection from the survey you took today. Assume this is the first day of class and that you have the student's phone number, year of graduation, and sex. You may ask questions which you believe can help you both in the subject area as well as connecting with the student.
Make the final question a feedback question for myself and your classmates.
Link this in your SAS page and notify me at brm@pitt.edu.